Esme's Good Deed
by acacia59601
Summary: Esme doesn't get many opportunities to help others, but when she finds a young woman in distress, she knows just what to do.
1. Chapter 1

Grocery shopping for vampires was truly a chore... You had to go through all the motherly motions of finding the ripest fruit, the freshest meat, or the tastiest cookies, all for nothing. Esme Cullen knew that it was an essential part of their charade, but it didn't make it any less boring. Yet again she felt like an actor going through the script and not actually living any part of it.

She smiled at the equally bored looking cashier as he rang up the crackers and other various items she was purchasing, and then started pushing her bag filled cart to her car. Next stop, the battered women's shelter in Port Angeles to drop off the newly bought food. Esme was a regular donor to that particular shelter and was usually greeted by name. The Cullen family saw no point in buying food that would simply go to waste and had always donated to whichever organization was nearest to wherever they were currently living.

She pulled her key chain from her purse and hit the unlock button, causing Carlisle's Mercedes to make a loud beep in reply.

"Whoa!" a female voice shouted in surprise from the other side of the vehicle. As Esme rounded the trunk of the car she saw a young woman who had apparently been leaning against the Mercedes. She was young, about 18 and heavily pregnant. She straightened as soon as she saw Esme and immediately started apologizing.

"I'm so sorry," she sputtered. "I swear I wasn't trying to steal your car or anything. I just got dizzy all of a sudden and needed to lean up against something. I'll just go now..."

"Oh, it's quite all right," Esme reassured the girl. "Are you feeling better? Maybe you better sit down." She was grateful that the girl's scent was being blown away from her. Esme's control around humans was much better than it had been in her newborn years, but it didn't do to tempt fate with no one around to hear the girl scream. She opened up her back seat and offered to let the girl sit down for a minute. The girl looked about to protest then turned a shade of gray and willingly let herself slip to the back seat while Esme loaded the groceries into the trunk. Esme kept shooting glances at her visitor who was looking more and more indisposed. The more glances she took the more worried she got, the poor girl looked terrible! Her brown hair was tangled and greasy, and the motherly vampire's keen sense of smell suggested that the girl hadn't been able to take a shower in a couple of days. A human wouldn't have been able to hear the rumbling of the empty stomach in her back seat, but Esme could hear it fine. There was no way she was just letting this girl run off without some kind of help.

After putting her now empty cart in the corral, she turned back to her unexpected guest. She was looking better but still a little pale. "I'm Esme Cullen," she said, hoping to gain the girl's confidence. Most sensible people knew better than to trust strangers.

"Izzy Jensen," she replied, still breathing rather heavily.

"If you don't mind my asking, when's the last time you had something hot to eat?" Esme prodded, putting some of the vampire allure behind her words, hoping Izzy would answer.

Either because of the unnatural push Esme had given her or simply because she was honest, Izzy answered with "I don't remember," and a sheepish smile.

"Dinner's on me," Esme declared, firmly. Izzy tried to protest but Esme could tell that the girl was hungry. "If not for you, then for the baby," Esme continued over Izzy's half-hearted arguments. "It's hard enough to eat for two without skipping meals."

Esme offered a hand to help lever the pregnant woman from her car. Izzy seemed startled by Esme's cold hands, but didn't comment. Esme could tell that Izzy would probably feel uncomfortable driving anywhere with a stranger, so she satisfied herself with leading the other woman down the street to the local McDonalds. It wasn't the healthiest option for a pregnant woman, but it was nearby and had hot food.

The two women sat together in a rather uncomfortable booth while Izzy scarfed down two burgers and a large french fry. Esme had ordered a coffee and was pretending to sip it every so often.

"You're not from around here," Esme said, making it a statement, not a question. The Cullen's had only been living in Forks, Washington for about a year, but it was a small enough town for her to know everybody at least by sight.

Izzy shook her head with a smile. "I'm actually lost. I'm trying to get to Vancouver but I took a wrong turn and ended up here."

"You are out of your way then, where are you from?"

"Long Beach, but I'm on my way to Vancouver to live with my aunt. She's a midwife and was going to deliver the baby." Izzy said.

"Where's the father," Esme asked. There was really no way to be delicate about something like that. "Is he meeting you there?"

Izzy gave an unladylike snort. "Damian? He scampered as soon as I told him I _might_ be pregnant! No, there's nobody other than Aunt Gloria."

"Surely your mom would want to be there for you?" Esme pressed. For some reason she wanted to know everything about this soon-to-be mother.

"Mom just disappeared about 6 years ago. I bounced from foster home to foster home until I turned eighteen."

Esme felt a stab of fury at this deadbeat mom. What kind of mother could just abandon her child like that?! At least Izzy was looking like she wasn't going to continue the cycle and abuse or neglect her own baby.

Izzy stopped short for a second and almost glared at Esme. "You are _way _too easy to talk to," she said. "I've never told someone this much about me after just meeting them. How about we talk about you for a while."

Esme laughed. She didn't know if it was her vampire allure or the motherly aura that Alice insisted she had, that was causing Izzy to trust her so easily, but she was grateful either way. This was turning into a far more interesting afternoon than she had originally planned.

"Well, I'm happily married, with five children, well more accurately three adopted children and a nephew and niece that live with my husband and I. They're all teenagers so they keep me hopping. If you think that a baby is hard to take care of when it's still in the womb, wait until they want to start dating! You never know where they're at during any given time. Oh, good gracious!" Esme was half way through her introduction of her vampire family when she saw Izzy's extended stomach ripple from top to bottom, easily visible through her too-small tee shirt. Izzy's face crumpled for a moment in discomfort.

"Are you... in labor?" Esme asked in disbelief.

"I'm okay," she replied, breathing heavily and absently rubbing her tummy. "It's been doing that for a few hours now. That's part of the reason I'm not back on my way, I don't want it getting any worse and be stuck on the side of the road somewhere. I stopped by the Fork's hospital when I got into town, but the nurse who checked said that it's probably just false labor."

"Are you sure?" Esme asked doubtfully. She still vividly remembered giving birth to her beautiful baby boy when she was still human and contractions that strong were rarely false.

Izzy's face fell, "No," she whispered. "It feels different this time."

The vampire woman gathered up her purse and made to stand up. "Let's get you to the hospital then!"

Izzy reached out a hand to stop her. "There's no point, I don't have insurance and I can't pay the bills myself. I had to wait for nearly two hours for them to find a nurse who was available and didn't mind doing an examination for free. He took one look down below and said for me to go home."

Esme was dumbfounded. That didn't sound like the Forks hospital at all! At the very least Carlisle would have seen her for free. Unless he was busy in surgery...

"Well, dear, don't you worry about finding someone to check you over," Esme soothed. "I happen to have some influence over Fork's senior ER physician. He's my husband, and all I need to do is ask for a favor!"

Izzy looked staggered. "You would do that for me? You don't even know me!"

Esme looked her in the eyes. "You are going to be a mother, and we moms need to stick together. Just pass a favor onto someone else someday and we'll call it even."

Poor Izzy looked like she was going to cry, so Esme stepped a little ways away to give her some privacy and call her husband. The phone rang only twice before Carlisle picked up.

"Sweetheart, you are a breath of fresh air," were the first words out of his mouth. "There was a four car pileup on the highway on the way into Forks. I've spent the last five hours picking shrapnel from a ten-year-old's intestines. I can't wait for my shift to end."

Esme felt a little guilty, but knew that Carlisle was likely far from actually exhausted and was putting on a show for any nurses or staff in listening distance. One of the benefits of being an untiring member of the vampire world...

"I made a friend today," she said, cheerfully, hoping to butter him up a little. She knew that Carlisle would do anything she ever asked of him, but that didn't mean that she had to completely mooch off his good nature. "And I need a favor from you."

"Oh, dear..." Carlisle said. The last time Esme had asked for a favor it had involved a $750,000 house and $100,000 worth of new furniture.

"It's not that bad, I just need some help for my new friend. She's about 18 or so and is currently having labor pains in the middle of McDonalds. She won't come to the hospital because she can't pay so I'm offering to pay you for her. How does a week of back rubs sound?" Esme could hear Izzy giggling at her offer.

She could tell from Carlisle's voice that he was grinning. "Sounds fair enough to me. Can I talk to her for a minute. I want to find out if she's far enough along for me to need to send an ambulance."

Esme handed the phone to Izzy, who took it nervously. "Hello?"

Esme could easily hear both sides of the conversation. Sometimes being a vampire had its benefits...

"Hi, this is Carlisle Cullen, Esme's husband. I understand you are having labor pains? How far apart are the contractions? How close are you to your due date?"

"Um, the contractions are about thirty seconds long and about fifteen to twenty minutes apart. I don't know how far along I am, but I think I'm a couple weeks early. I never went to see the doctor to be able to find out, I just used one of those online calculators at the library computer." She sounded embarrassed.

"So you've gone this whole pregnancy without any medical monitoring?" Carlisle confirmed.

"Yep, pretty much," she said, definitely sheepish.

"All right, I would like you to come directly to the hospital for a full examination. We'll see what's happening and get you taken care of." Carlisle said, his strong voice soothing.

"You don't need to go to that much effort," Izzy protested. "I just need someone to catch the baby when it pops out! I can't pay so you don't need to give me the full treatment..." The poor girl sounded so embarrassed that Esme's heart would have clenched if it still could.

Carlisle laughed, putting her at ease. "I'm getting back rubs out of this, I'd better earn them! I think I can do a little better than just, um, 'catching'. I'll see you and Esme at the hospital."

Izzy followed Esme's car to the hospital and the older woman helped her to the check in desk. Carlisle wasn't there just yet, so Esme sat down while Izzy started filling out paperwork.

Esme smelled him before she saw him; a sweet scent that always reminded her of sunlit summer days, with a faint overshadowing of hand sanitizer. Carlisle came up behind her chair and gently kissed her cheek.

"Thank you for doing this, love," Esme said. "I just couldn't stand to see her so lost and alone when I knew you could help."

Carlisle quickly hugged her from behind. "You are a Guardian Angel, my dear. I shudder to think what might have become of that girl if you hadn't taken her under your wing."

The vampire couple suddenly realized that Izzy was arguing with the receptionist.

"Dr. Cullen said that he would be willing to help me for free!" Izzy exclaimed in tearful frustration.

"I'm sorry, dear, but I need to have him tell me that!" the receptionist replied.

"That's my cue," Carlisle murmured to his wife and left to go straighten things out.

Walking up to the distraught girl, Carlisle said, "You must be Izzy, it's a pleasure to meet you." Then in an aside to the receptionist, he said, "I'm handling this one, Marie, it's fine. Just get her checked into a room."

"Wow," was Izzy's response to her first glimpse of the good doctor. To her credit though, she pulled herself together and reached out to shake his hand. Halfway through, her face crumpled as another contraction hit.

"Oh, ow... ow, ow, ow," she muttered, pulling her hand back to clutch at her stomach which was once again, visibly rippling.

Carlisle immediately reached to support her and called for a wheelchair. Now eager to be of help, the receptionist brought one right away. Carlisle helped her into the chair and started pushing her through the doors.

Izzy craned her neck to look back at Esme and Carlisle slowed to a stop. "Stay with me!" she said, sounding panicked. Then she seemed to realize how inappropriate her request was to ask of a near-stranger. "Never mind, I'm sure you have plenty of other things to do, and you've done so much already."

Esme squatted down to be at Izzy's eye level. "I'm not going to leave until you want me to." She could see Carlisle grinning at her generosity, but it was Izzy's relieved smile that lit the room.

TBC.

Author's note: This is going to be a fairly short, two part story, with some not very graphic scenes of childbirth in the next chapter. You have been warned, please let me know if you don't think the rating is appropriate. Please review and let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Author's note: I'm keeping the rating where it's at unless someone suggests I raise it. Please let me know if you think anything is inappropriate!

Chapter 2

Esme set her purse on the side table in the hospital room Izzy had been assigned. She had promised the soon-to-be mother that she would stay at Izzy's side for as long as she was needed, but she was starting to regret her hasty words. Childbirth was an amazing, wonderful thing, but it was also painful and bloody. The bloody part was what she was worried about.

Her husband may have perfect control around blood, but she did not. Oh, she was much better than she had been in the first few years of being a vampire, but she was still not up to the idea of staying in a small room with a bleeding woman. But, she had given her word. She would just have to leave if it got too bad, regardless of what Izzy might think. Better feeling betrayed than dead...

Carlisle came into the room and handed Izzy a hospital gown. "Go ahead and change into that, then we'll get started on your examination."

Izzy gave a two fingered salute and went into the bathroom to change.

"Can I talk to you a moment, dear?" Esme asked her husband.

The couple stepped into the nearly deserted hallway and casually checked for anyone close enough to overhear. The closest human was sitting at the nursing station twelve yards down the hall.

"I don't know if I can do this," Esme said quietly.

Carlisle looked a little worried too. "If you don't think you can manage, we may have to make up a rule that only family can be in the room or something like that. Or you will have to step out if it seems like you might lose control. But, I think you'll do fine, particularly if we call Alice and ask if there's anything we can do to make it easier."

Almost before he finished speaking, Carlisle's cell phone went off with a cheerful ring. The couple looked at each other and grinned. He didn't even need to look at the caller ID to know it was Alice. There were definite benefits to having a daughter who could see exactly what you needed before you even knew you needed it.

Carlisle handed the phone to Esme to answer. She didn't even have a chance to say "Hello" before Alice was squealing in her ear.

"Oh, Esme! I'm so proud of you for helping that poor girl! Don't worry about a thing, everything will be fine. I'm putting together a bag for you with everything you'll need. I'll be at the hospital within half an hour. Oh, and tell Carlisle to turn the heat up in the room when Izzy's not looking. I'll explain when I get there!"

"Alice, I-" Esme started, then the phone went dead. She just looked at the phone in shock for a moment. Even after decades of dealing with Alice and her overwhelming energy, it still managed to take her by surprise sometimes.

She relaid Alice's message to her husband and he quickly turned up the heat in the room while Izzy was still in the bathroom changing. Izzy came out of the room a few moments later trying unsuccessfully to do up the back of her hospital gown. Esme quickly came over to help.

With Esme's help, Izzy got situated in her hospital bed and Carlisle started hooking her up to machines and getting an IV started. Esme held her hand the entire time and it didn't take very long, even though they had to pause several times for contractions.

"Is it kinda hot in here, or is it just me?" Izzy said, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"The air conditioning is out in this room, but it's the only one left unoccupied," Carlisle lied.

There was a knock on the door just as Carlisle was starting his examination and Alice poked her head through. Esme got up and went to talk to her daughter.

Alice had a backpack and a medium sized electric fan in her hands. Instantly Esme felt a rush of relief. A fan! Why didn't _she_ think of that? All she had to do was put it behind Izzy and as long as Esme stayed by the girl's head, the scent of the blood would be downwind! And the cooler air would comfort Izzy as well. Now she understood Alice's request to turn the heat up. Izzy wouldn't suspect a thing!

"Alice, you are a miracle-worker!" Esme exclaimed, giving her daughter a hug. Alice grinned as she passed her loot over to Esme.

"I brought you some other things too," Alice said. "There's a book to read while she's resting, your knitting, and some massage balls for Izzy. I added a water bottle for you to pretend to drink from every so often, and some snacks. She won't notice you're not eating them as long as you have them visible and you toss the wrappers out when you ditch the food. I didn't bring a complete change of clothes but I brought you a lighter weight shirt to wear so Izzy doesn't get suspicious about your not noticing the heat. You shouldn't be here much more than a day or so, but if you decide to stay after the baby's born, let me know and I'll bring you something else to change into. Call me if you need anything!"

Alice gave Esme a kiss on the cheek and was off as quickly as she had come. Shaking her head slightly in amusement, Esme went back into the room.

Carlisle was still doing his examination and asking Izzy questions, so Esme took the chance to unpack the backpack and set up the fan behind Izzy's head. As soon as the fan was started, Izzy gave a sigh of relief and smiled gratefully at Esme.

The rest of the day passed at snail speed, with Izzy's contractions slowly increasing in intensity and frequency. Esme would hold the other girl's hands when the contractions would have her moaning softly in pain, and when she thought that she couldn't go on, Esme would encourage her.

"Just let the pain flow out through your arms, into your hands, and into mine. Just let the pain flow," Esme coached.

When the contraction finally eased, Izzy gave Esme a weary smile. "You're very good at this. I thought you only had adopted children?"

Esme sighed. She really didn't want to tell Izzy about her baby, because she didn't want to scare the other girl with a story about a baby that didn't survive. The last thing Izzy needed was to be dwelling on the idea of something happening to her baby. But, Izzy had asked...

"I had one biological baby," Esme said. "So I do know what you are going through. I had a little boy, Andrew. But, he was born very sick and only lived a couple of weeks. Those were the best weeks of my life though, he was my own personal angel."

"I don't care if it's a boy or a girl, as long as it's healthy," Izzy said, and Esme could tell that she meant it.

"What names have you picked out?" Esme asked, trying to distract her.

"Well, I only have a boy's name for sure, Michael Anthony. I'm still not sure about my pick of a girl's name. I like Angelica but I don't know about a middle name."

"How about Angelica Marie?" Esme suggested.

"Actually, I was wondering if you would let me use Angelica Esme?" Izzy said, shyly. "I don't have any way to truly thank you for all you've done for me, but I'd like to do something. And besides, I really like the sound of that name."

Esme was honestly stunned. She had never guessed that Izzy would feel so grateful for her help. "I would be honored to let little Angelica share my name. But only if it's a girl, I don't want to saddle poor Micheal with a middle name like Esme!"

The two women laughed for a moment until another contraction took Izzy's breath away. The girl moaned and tried to ride out the pain. It was a full minute before the contraction finally eased, and she lay back against the pillows with a sigh. "I don't think I'll be able to do this..." she muttered.

"But you are already doing it, dear," Esme soothed. "You think you can't manage, but you already are. Just look at how far you've already come. You just need to hang in there."

Carlisle and a delivery nurse came into the room, his shift finally ended so he could focus on Izzy. "How are things going here? Are you ready to start pushing?"

Izzy nodded fervently. "I want this over with," she said, with renewed determination.

Carlisle checked the machines, then examined Izzy. "It looks like you're farther along than I thought you would be. You'll feel the contractions change so when your body tells you to push, you do that."

Esme felt a stab of sympathy for her young friend. She knew how scary it was to have your body instead of your mind being in control of what happened to you. She wished she could do more to help, but all she could do was be there to support. It was in Izzy's hands now.

Izzy pushed for hours. Nothing happened. No matter how hard or how long she pushed it seemed like she was getting nowhere. Carlisle was starting to look worried. He gently pushed on Izzy's belly and felt around to see why the baby just wasn't coming out.

He finally gave a sigh and rolled his stool over to Izzy's head so he could talk to her. Esme held her breath. She could tell something was wrong.

"Izzy, the baby is upside down. Normally the baby comes out belly down, but it's on its back and it's getting its head stuck against your pelvis. I'm going to try to turn the baby but if it doesn't work I'll need to do a cesarean section." Carlisle looked serious and Esme felt Izzy grip her hand tighter.

Izzy was exhausted, but nodded bravely. Carlisle got his things together for what he needed to do and started trying to turn the baby. Izzy gave a small, pain-filled cry.

"You can do it, sweetheart," Esme told the other woman. "You are doing so well. Just hang in there a little longer!"

Carlisle gave a delighted cry. "It's working, now PUSH!"

With one last moan of effort, Izzy did as she was told. A healthy wail broke the air and Izzy started sobbing from joy and relief. Carlisle did a quick examination of the baby then put her daughter in Izzy's arms.

"Hi, Angelica," Izzy murmured. "I'm your mom, and I love you very much."

Esme felt her heart ache and she regretted with all her heart that she would never be in Izzy's position. She wished she could give Carlisle a baby and fill her own empty arms. But for all the pain, she still could not stop smiling. Even if she couldn't have a baby herself, she still had just helped bring one into the world.

Carlisle came up and took the baby for a full exam and to get her foot and hand prints taken. The sight of her husband holding the newborn sent another stab of longing through her heart.

"Thank you, thank you," Izzy kept repeating. The younger woman was utterly exhausted and Esme knew that the girl needed to rest. When the new mother was finally cleaned up and sleeping, Esme slipped out of the room to find her husband.

Carlisle seemed to know what she needed as soon as she came into the nursery. He gently handed little Angelica to a nurse and came over to give her a hug.

"I don't think I've ever felt this happy and this sad at the same time," she said quietly enough that only Carlisle could hear her.

"I know how you feel," he replied. "I feel that way every time I attend a birth. But somehow, it's always more happy than sad. I wish I could have had a baby with you, but I will never regret being with you forever."

She was slowly feeling the pain being drained away by her husband's loving embrace. She took a deep breath and pulled away.

"Can I see the baby now?" she said with a smile.

* * *

Alice tossed her keys on the key holder by the door and quickly called for everyone in the house to come downstairs. She had just gotten back from delivering Esme's things to the hospital and had been struck by a wonderful idea on the way home.

When Edward, Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper had zipped to her side, she quickly told them what Esme was going to be doing that day. The boys looked excited at the thought of their mother being able to get out and help someone. They all agreed that Esme spent too much time alone at home. Rosalie looked a little upset, but she always felt that way when the forbidden topic of babies and children came up.

"Here's what I want to do. We are going to go shopping for everything that Izzy needs," Alice announced. "That poor girl has _nothing_ for the baby, not even a baby carrier. I want to fill that girl's car with everything she could possibly want. I need you men to help carry the big stuff. It'll look strange if little ol' me is carting around a huge crib by myself." The boys nodded, easily agreeing to help shop, for the first time Alice could recall. She turned to Rosalie.

"Rose, I really need your help on this one," she pleaded. "I don't know anything about babies, and I have no idea what they need. I've never even held a baby before. Will you help me?"

Rosalie looked sad, but then her chin came up and her face became determined. "Of course I'll help. But you need to follow my lead on this one. Agreed?"

Alice nodded, "Agreed! Let's go!"

Rosalie insisted on driving Emmett's Jeep, and to Alice's shocked dismay, the first place they stopped was the Port Angelus Wal-mart.

Rosalie cut off Alice's protest at the low-end venue. "We'll get most everything at Baby Gap, or that new baby store down the street, but she's going to need staples like diapers and wipes and we can't get those there."

Despite herself Alice managed to find several adorable outfits at Wal-mart and Emmett even found a soft stuffed teddy bear that he insisted on buying for the baby himself.

The Jeep was slowly filling up with each stop they made, and even Jasper and Edward seemed to be enjoying themselves. The never-before-visited world of burp cloths and baby bottles was a whole new adventure for the Cullen family and everyone seemed to be able to find something that they wanted to purchase for Izzy and little Angelica.

Alice got several outfits for Izzy to wear and a selection of bath salts and other things she could use to relax once she had a chance.

Emmett seemed intent on buying out Baby Gap's entire selection of stuffed animals and Rosalie had to make him put several stuffed bears back. But she still put him in charge of picking out toys and he was having a blast picking out the most colorful and exciting toys he could find. Rosalie and Alice were in their element in the clothing section and it was looking like Angelica would be the best dressed baby around. Jasper was comparing baby cribs and car seats and would carefully read each safety label looking for the absolute best. Edward seemed to randomly flit from aisle to aisle, but Alice knew he was scanning the minds of the shopping mother's around him and picking up what they would have recommended.

With the stores closing they packed the Jeep full to the gills and happily headed back to Forks.

* * *

Esme was softly cooing at the newborn in her arms when Izzy finally woke up the next morning. The new mother was sore and still a little tired, but otherwise came through her ordeal in perfect health. Esme spent the next several hours teaching Izzy how to care for Angelica and was happy seeing the overwhelmed look slowly leaving her face as she understood more and more of what she needed to do.

She was still had a bit of the deer-in-the-headlights look about her though, when Carlisle came in after having headed home to get some 'rest' for a few hours. Esme had stayed the night at the hospital, but since Carlisle had already worked a 12 hour shift, the hospital staff had insisted he go home.

"Since you and little Angelica are doing so well, I'm releasing you early. Our daughters Alice and Rosalie picked up a baby car seat for you, along with some other essentials and since I have the next two days off, I'm driving you to Vancouver," Carlisle said with a wide grin. "No, not a single argument out of you, I'm serious," he continued over Izzy's protestations that he had already done more than enough for her.

Esme was smiling from ear to ear, proud as could be over how her family had come together to help Izzy. She knew that Alice, Rosalie and the others would never have been able to limit themselves to a car seat and 'a few essentials'. She also knew that as soon as Rosalie and Edward had seen Izzy's beat up station wagon, one or the other of them would have immediately given it a full tune-up.

Izzy was overwhelmed. She had never dreamed that this family would take her under their wings like this, and was completely convinced that they were guardian angels in human form. "How can I ever pay you back for all of this?" she cried.

Esme gave her a gentle hug, careful not to bump the sleeping baby in Izzy's arms. "You don't have to repay us, dear. Just let us help you, we get everything we need from the opportunity to do something nice for someone. Trust me, we're enjoying this to much for it to ever be a burden."

Izzy nodded through her grateful tears and let Carlisle take the baby so Esme could help her get dressed and get her things packed up.

Esme met her children in the hospital waiting room, carrying her little namesake in the brand-new carrier while Carlisle pushed Izzy in a wheelchair.

Everyone crowded around Esme to get a glimpse of the baby, even Jasper, though he was holding his breath while he came close. Alice was delighted at the doll-like appearance of the baby, but Rosalie's reaction was the strongest. She reached down and very gently traced the baby's cheek with an icy finger. Angelica stirred in her sleep and leaned her head into the touch. A radiant smile broke across her face and she willingly went to stand by Emmett, who put an arm around his wife.

"We kinda went a little crazy with the baby gifts," Alice was saying to Izzy. "What can I say, I love to shop! Carlisle's under orders to pick up anything that we may have missed, so you should be ready to go."

Izzy looked up at Esme with a joyful smile. "I can't thank you all enough for everything you've done. I'll never forget this, never."

"Just do someone else a favor someday and we'll call it good," Edward said, easily reading what she was most worried about.

The look on Izzy's face was worth every second of effort when they wheeled her out to her vehicle to see it stuffed to the top of the windows with a crib, changing table, bags upon bags of clothes, diapers, bottles and formula. She nearly started crying again but got herself under control. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Esme in a hug that went straight to Esme's soul.

"I know that 'thank you' can never begin to cover all of this," Izzy said. "But, still. Thank you so much."

Esme shook her head. "No, thank you! It's been a very long time since I was reminded of the miracle of life. You've helped me remember what it feels like to be a mother, and for that_ I'm _grateful to _you_. Now, you take care of yourself and that baby. And send me pictures! Carlisle will give you our address."

Izzy nodded and climbed into the passenger seat of the car. Esme stepped back and closed the door for her. Carlisle came around to give Esme a hug and kiss goodbye. He was planning on flying back from Vancouver after driving Izzy to her Aunt's. "I'm so glad you met her," he said. "I am so proud of you for what you did. I'll see you in a couple of days."

Esme and her children by love waved goodbye as Carlisle and Izzy drove out of the hospital parking lot. Esme felt completely content as Alice wrapped an arm around her and Edward put his hand on her shoulder. For the first time in a long while she truly felt like a mother.

The End.

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